A Stone
by Imogen Bradford
Summary: A series of one-shots based on Lily Evans and the two men who loved her most. Really, there are more similarities between them than we thought. Varying perspectives and time periods. Letters, pseudo-songfics, etc. Rated T just in case. Reviews please?
1. First and Last

**A/N: **_After writing the following fic, I thought it would be really fun to do a series of one-shots based on Lily, James, and Severus. There's no particular order, it's just going to be what I feel like writing at the time. They're all, in some way, loosely connected to the song _A Stone_ by Okkerville River, since that's the song that I most associate with these three. (It's a really great song, if you have time to listen to it. Pretend that Snape is singing to Lily.)_

_I think it would also be cool to take requests- so if you have an idea or a topic you'd like me to write, just leave it in the reviews and I'll try my best at it._

_Anyway, this first one was just a short drabble on Lily and Severus' first (and last) kiss. I have a feeling that it happened sometime in mid-winter of their fourth year, and they both decided to never mention it again._

_PS- I get really excited when people leave me reviews. Just saying :)_

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><p>He even surprised himself by what he had just done.<p>

She pulled away, but not too far. Only far enough that their lips weren't touching anymore. Only far enough that she could see him, and he, her. Her freckled cheeks were pale, and her green eyes stayed unwaveringly locked on his black ones. He could count each snowflake that stuck to her eyelashes. He felt the warmth of her neck under his hand; the hand that was tangled in her dark red hair.

She shivered, and moved away further, drawing her cloak closer around herself. She moved away from his touch, from his body heat.

She looked down, and his heart broke. He had been dreaming about this moment for years. He had been working up the courage to finally do it. He had put everything unsaid into it.

And now he had ruined everything.

"I'm sorry, Sev," she didn't look back when she left him there, frozen.


	2. Fighting

**A/N: **_I originally wanted to something about James and Lily's fist kiss, since the last one was about Severus and Lily's first kiss. This was what ended up happening instead, and I like it a lot more than what I had first planned. This is going on before James and Lily got together (because I would seriously hope that they stopped having "battles of words" when they started dating)_

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><p>Maybe it was wrong, but James still thought that Lily was at her most beautiful when she was angry with him.<p>

Sometimes he would start fights with her, solely for this reason.

He loved the fire that ignited in her eyes when her temper finally snapped. He had memorized the stance that she took; every time she gave in to his teasing and decided to combat him. She would put her hands on her hips and stand there, livid. They were nearly the same height, but she seemed to tower over him during their rows.

He loved the way that they fought. A true battle of words. She always had a retort, another arrow in her arsenal to shoot back at him. He would deflect, and try to make his own blow, but she would simply dodge and attack him again. During these frays, he admired how her intelligence shined through, even when she was too mad to even think straight.

He loved watching her mouth move, forming the words of her argument. There was something mesmerizing and sexy about watching her yell. Half of the time, it was all he could do to suppress the urge to run over and press his own lips against hers, just to finally know what they would feel like. But he contented himself with watching, and remembering, so that he could day dream about it later. He wondered if her mouth would move like that when he was kissing her.

But most of all, James love fighting with Lily because when they fought, she was focusing all of her attention on him. Everything else fell away, and it was just the two of them, together, in their own world. For as much as she said that she didn't care about him, they spent a lot of time together in this realm. And he was greedy. He wanted as much time alone with her as he could get. He wanted to feel like he was the only one that she was thinking about, the only one, at that moment, who mattered to her.

He only wished that she would focus on him because she loved him, instead of loathed him.


	3. Dear Lily

**A/N:** _This is a letter that Snape wrote to Lily on the tenth anniversary of her death. I was wondering what would be going on in his head this day, and I figured that the best way to express it would be through a letter. I was originally thinking that he would burn it in the end, but I decided that he should keep it. He probably has a collection of these, somewhere._

_Enjoy, and maybe even review?_

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><p>Dear Lily,<p>

I know that you don't want to hear from me, and that even if you did, you wouldn't be able to read this anyway. But there's so many things that I never got to tell you, and I have so many regrets…I just need to get it all off of my chest. I don't know how long this will be, or how coherent—I can't really think straight right now, to be honest. I'm just going to start writing, and try to get it all out.

More than anything, I'm sorry. I know that it doesn't come anywhere close to making up for what I did, and what I caused you to go through, but hopefully it's a start.

I'm sorry that I called you a Mudblood all of those years ago. There's nothing I can say to explain why I did that; you've heard all of my excuses already. And they were awful excuses. Not a day goes by when I don't wish that I could go back and change that moment. If I hadn't done that, perhaps we would still have been friends…maybe you could have gotten me off of the dark path that I was on, before it was too late. Maybe you would still be here. Looking back, I now realize that alienating you that day was the first step that I took in causing your death.

There are no words to describe how I feel when I think about the fact that I am the one who brought about your death. Don't deny that it's true…for a long time, I tried to place the blame on others. I was running from my guilt, telling myself that I was innocent. I told myself that the Dark Lord was the one who had murdered you. Black had betrayed you. But I wasn't innocent, and I knew it. I had chosen the wrong side, even though you had warned me that I was headed for trouble. And I had told the Dark Lord the prophesy that caused him to hunt you and your family down. If I hadn't been so eager to please him, you would have been safe. He wouldn't have gone to any lengths to find out where you were…and he wouldn't have killed you that night in Godric's Hollow.

I'm the reason why you died, Lily. I can hardly live with myself, knowing that fact. I single handedly brought about the destruction of the one woman I had ever loved. There is nothing that I could ever do to make that up, to either of us. I can never fix it.

And I've done you more wrongs than that. Although I never like James, and you knew that, it was horrible that you had to see him die. I can't imagine what that must have been like, watching the Dark Lord murder your husband and knowing that either you or your son would be next. You were so brave…braver than I ever was. I just wish that you never would have needed to be that strong. Your last moments were terrifying…I never would have wanted that for you. I never wanted you to die. I never wanted you to be afraid. You were too good. You didn't deserve any of this. You deserved so much more time than you had, filled with happiness and people who loved you. My mistakes took that away.

And I have to apologize for something else. Dumbledore has asked me to protect your son, and I promise that I will. But I've met the boy, and I could never like him. The only part of you that he has inherited is your eyes. Everything else is like his father. Lily, I'm sorry, but I'm not protecting your son…I'm protecting the last part of you that's left within him. And the part of me that still wants to soothe my grief and claim my innocence says that if it wasn't for that child, you would still be alive. So I'm sorry that I can't love the only bit of you that I have left. I'm sorry that I wish he were dead, if it meant that I would have you back.

I love you, Lily Evans. I have since we were children. Even after all this time, I think of you every day. I was never brave enough to tell you how I felt while you were still alive. I was never brave enough to do anything for you...

Every day I regret my cowardice. I regret not listening to you while I still could. I regret everything. I lost you twice, by my own actions.

It will have been ten years as of tonight. Ten years since you were ripped away from this world, much before it was your time to go. Where are you now? I hope that it's somewhere nice. I hope you're happy. And I hope that one day you can forgive me.

With all of my love,

Severus

_The Potions Master looked over the finished letter, a single tear running down his cheek. He carefully tucked it into his desk drawer, wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robes, and swept out of the room. He had a fest to attend, after all._


	4. A Spring Wedding

**A/N:** _347-Flavors requested an AU where Snape and Lily DID end up together, and what would happen ten years after they graduated Hogwarts. This is what I came up with._

_Overall, it's a lot more lighthearted than the last three fics have been. But I decided that since Harry had never been born, and that Snape was a good guy, so he never told Voldemort the prophesy anyway, that in this world Voldemort would have never been defeated. He's probably pretty strong by this point, so Lily, being Muggle-born, needed to leave the country. And where did her dear Snapey-poo take her? Why, Canada, of course!_

_Just wanted to clarify that._

_Enjoy! And if you have a request, don't hesitate to ask!_

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><p>Lily was ecstatic. She had been planning this day for months, and waiting for years. She stole another glance at herself in the mirror, and smiled. The dress was perfect. Pure white silk, with a full a-line skirt and beading around the sweetheart neckline. Her dark red locks were done up in a bun, with a few pearl hairpins. She wasn't wearing the veil yet; she wanted to wait until the last minute to put it on, for fear of damaging the fragile material.<p>

Her mother had insisted that she observed certain Muggle customs, for luck. Something old? The diamond earrings that she wore, which had been given to her by her grandmother. Something new? The bracelet that her mother had given her, just yesterday. Something borrowed? Her aunt's necklace. Something blue? That was, well…private. Her groom would find out about it later.

There was a knock on her bedroom door. "Lily, dear?" Her father asked. "May I come in?"

"Yes," she came over and opened the door, and he smiled at the sight of her.

"My little girl…so grown up and beautiful." His face shone with pride. "Are you ready? It's about time."

She nodded, grinning. He took her hand, as he always had when she was little, and they went downstairs together to the sitting room. Already a small space, today it was crowded with people. But there wasn't a claustrophobic feeling to it. The room was packed with all of Lily's loved ones, and she knew that they were all there to celebrate her happiness.

Her maid of honor, Alice, came over with the box containing her veil. "May I put it on you? To complete the image of a perfect bride?"

Lily blushed at the compliment, and complied. The veil was put in place, and Alice smiled. "Perfect."

Her father took her hand again. "We shouldn't keep that young man waiting any longer, should we?"

The bridal party filed out of the back door and into the garden, where the wedding ceremony would be held. Lily was last, led by her father. The stepped outside together, into the most glorious spring day imaginable. The sky was perfectly blue, and there was a slight breeze rustling the new leaves on the trees.

It was all better than she could have hoped for. She forgot that her sister refused to attend the wedding. She forgot about the turmoil of the last six months, and the terror of having to flee to Canada. Every uneasiness that had plagued her in recent years would be laid to rest, at least for now. Today was a day for joy.

She walked down the aisle, and her father handed her off to the man that she was about to marry. They walked up to the makeshift alter together, hand-in-hand. She barely heard the words that the priest spoke…all she could do was think about how happy she was, to finally be here. She was marrying her best friend, the one that had always been there for her. He had loved her since their childhood, back in England. She hadn't realized it until their final semester at Hogwarts, ten years ago. Their romance had been slow, but she couldn't be more delighted with the end result.

Finally, it was time for her to become his wife.

"Do you, Lily Evans, take Severus Snape to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do!" She beamed.


	5. Christmas I

**A/N: **_Fluffy, and kind of sad. I'm going to do a follow up Christmas-themed story for Snape next :)_

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><p>It was just beginning to flurry outside as the last guest of their small Christmas gathering left.<p>

"Happy Christmas!" James called from the front door, as Sirius had just gotten outside of the garden gate, and was about to Disapparate.

"You too, mate!" He gave a smile and a wave, before turning on the spot and vanishing with a _crack_.

James shut the door behind him, before coming back into the living room and embracing his wife. Lily smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"That was lovely," she said. "It was so nice to see everyone…even though Peter seemed a bit down."

"I hope he's alright," James mused, looking concerned. "He hasn't really been himself lately, has he?"

"It's probably just the war," Lily replied, trying to sound nonchalant. James pulled her close, and she relaxed into him. She, herself, had been rather upset about the goings-on lately, and James couldn't blame her. Things were getting more dangerous by the moment, and it seemed as if every day there was more news of murders and disappearances. James only left the house when he absolutely had to, and just about the only place where Lily would go alone was old Bathilda's house.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other and savoring the moment of safety and peace. It was Christmas day; there was wrapping paper strewn across the floor and a smile pile of opened gifts under the tree. In the comfort of their sitting room, with the snow falling softly outside of the window in the twilight, it was easy to believe that there was nothing wrong in the outside world.

Finally, Lily broke the silence with a nearly inaudible whisper. "James…we're going to be safe, right?"

He kissed her forehead gently. "Of course, Lilyflower."

She gave him a small smile at the use of her pet name, but still looked worried. "Do you promise?"

"I promise," he said reassuringly.

She took a minute before speaking again. "I…I have another Christmas present for you…" She adjusted herself so that she could see him completely. She was blushing.

"What is it, love?"

Instead of speaking, she simply took his hand, and placed it on her tummy. It wasn't until now that he really noticed the slight roundness that had recently appeared. His eyes widened.

She looked at him imploringly. "Promise that you'll protect both of us…?"

"Oh, Lily!" He hugged her tight and kissed her. "Of course I will! Every day, my love. For the rest of my life, if I have to!"

True to his word, James Potter protected his wife and son until the day he died.


	6. Christmas II

**A/N:** _This is a follow-up to my previous Christmas-themed chapter. __I like the idea that Severus gave Lily "secret" presents every year after they stopped being friends, so this is about that. This is the last Christmas before her death, and I feel that this was also the most significant gift._

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><p>Annually, there was one present that Lily always found somewhere unexpected, when she was alone. It was usually something small, but expensive, and there was never any sort of return address. Last Christmas, it had been a new pair of jade earrings that matched her eyes exactly. The year before, she received a peacock-feather quill of the highest quality.<p>

This year, when she opened the door to put out the cat, there was a bouquet of red Christmas Flowers and a small, plainly wrapped box sitting on her stoop. She picked them up, and took both presents inside.

She placed the flowers on the mantle, and they looked quite nice with the other decorations of garlands and holly branches. The parcel she took up to her bedroom, where she could open it in private.

Carefully, she peeled off the paper, and opened the box to see a small pair of blue baby slippers, which she knew were the perfect size to fit on the feet of four-month-old Harry.

Lily blushed, flattered. She didn't know what to expect, but it certainly hadn't been this. For the first time she had not been given something that was to be kept to herself, but two gifts that were be meant to shared with her family.

"Thank you, Severus," she whispered. For the first time in years, he had gotten her something that she actually wanted.


	7. Green Monster

**A/N: **_Sev's reaction when Lily and James start dating. My girlfriend was throwing prompts at me, because I had literally no idea what to write. The word that started this was "envy."_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>Severus watched her walk down the corridors with that toerag, Potter. She had always maintained that she couldn't stand him—that there was as much of a chance of her going out with him as there was of Dumbledore joining forces with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.<p>

_Well, _Severus thought, bitterly, _I __hope __that __the __wizarding __world __is __prepared __to __see __their __greatest __hero __go __to __the __Dark __Side._

Because Lily Evans was now dating James Potter. Kissing, hand-holding and all. It was absolutely disgusting. What had he done to win her over? He was still just as arrogant and immature. And he wasn't even _that_ good-looking.

_Maybe __he __slipped __her __a __love __potion._

He could get expelled for that. And he already did plenty of things that could get him expelled, so it didn't seem like such a far-fetched notion.

_Maybe __it__'__s __because __he__'__s __the __new __Quidditch __Captain._

But Lily wasn't that shallow. She wouldn't go for a guy just because he was popular…would she?

To be honest, Severus didn't even know anymore. She felt so foreign to him now, and he sometimes wondered if he had ever really known her at all. He hadn't spoken to her since fifth year, and any knowledge that he had of her well-being was what he could find out by watching, following, or listening in on gossip.

But there was one thing that was clear to him.

Right now, he wanted to be James Potter. He wanted to be the one who had the joy of holding Lily, making her laugh, hearing her secrets…

He watched from the back of the Charms class as Potter talked to her, absently twirling her red locks around his fingers. Severus wondered how that felt…how soft her hair was…how he could be so accustomed to touching her that he didn't have to even think about it! He didn't have to watch his every move. He didn't have to carefully choose each word before he said it.

The Green Monster that had been born in his chest the moment that Potter had stolen Lily away roared, out of rage, anguish, longing, and a hundred other emotions that coursed through his body.

_Why __can__'__t __that __be __me?_


	8. Insecurities I

**A/N: **_Sorry I haven't updated in so long! Hopefully you're all still interested in this. _

_Anyway, this chapter and the next one were requested by Nobody'sGirl101. Once again, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get to this, and I hope it was worth the wait! This is kind of similar to the last chapter, but takes place beforehand. And I tried to include a few different elements._

_Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed. It means a lot. Keep it up!_

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><p><strong>Insecurities I<strong>

James Potter.

Severus could barely stand to even think the name of that arrogant git. And yet everyone else seemed to love him! How, Severus wondered, could people be so shallow? Where were they finding these redeeming qualities in him?

The teachers shouldn't like him. He was a notorious trouble maker, breaking rules left and right. And yet they all gave him that _smile. _The one that said, "You're full of yourself and don't give a damn about whatever anyone tells you to do, but you're so charming that I'll just have to let you get away with it." It was infuriating. Whenever Severus put even a toe out of line, he would be reprimanded immediately. No one would listen to an explanation. No one would even give a second thought to that week's worth of detentions scrubbing toilets. And yet James Potter could blow up half the Great Hall and get off with lines.

The other students adored him. He would open his mouth and say something that wasn't even witty, but he would have everyone laughing as if it was the funniest thing that they had ever heard. He could ask anyone for a favor, and they would do it. _Anything _to please James Potter. He had girls dropping at his feet. Any boy who was friends with him automatically developed a condescending attitude, thinking that they were such hot shit when Potter said two words to them.

_Why? _Severus still couldn't wrap his head around it. What could possibly be so great about him? Sure, he supposedly had nice hair, although Severus didn't agree. Having it all messed up like that just looked sloppy. He played Quidditch, but so did plenty of people. It wasn't such a bit deal. And her got decent marks in his classes…but so did Severus, and he definitely didn't have the same kind of popularity.

Severus decided that there was nothing good about James Potter. He didn't know why the whole school was so obsessed with him, and he didn't want to care. But the fact was that he did. He cared, because he was afraid. Afraid that, sooner or later, Lily would stop tiring of James' constant attempts to ask her out and start agreeing with everyone else. And then it would be too late.


	9. Insecurities II

**A/N: **_This is the companion to the last chapter, also requested by Nobody'sGirl101. While the last one was from Snape's point of view, this is now from James'. I hope you like it, and forgive me that they're both so short. Leave a review and let me know what you think? :)_

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><p><strong>Insecurities II<strong>

Why did Lily _choose _to hang around with Snivellus? James felt a pang of jealousy every time he saw the two together. She could do so much better, and he didn't deserve her. What could she possibly see in him? And if she _liked _him…James felt nauseous at the thought. She couldn't possibly feel that way for Severus Snape.

James couldn't deny that he did well in his classes. Really well. He was at the top of Potions for their year, and not far behind in anything else. Maybe Lily liked to study with him. She was pretty smart herself, and always reminded James that he wasn't much on an intellectual. That had to be it. She just liked Snivellus' brains.

But even his brains weren't much to like, James reasoned. He was up to his greasy nose in the Dark Arts, and surely someone like Lily wouldn't be interested in that. Maybe that's what he was using to make he like him! Some sort of Dark spell. It seemed like the sort of thing that he would do. Of course, if he was using Dark Magic, than he would have just gone all the way to make her fall in love with him, wouldn't he?

So that left James to assume that Lily just plain liked Snivellus, of her own free will. Which seriously made no sense.

What bothered James the most wasn't the fact that Lily like Snivellus. It was the fact that she like Snivellus _more than him. _Okay, so maybe deep down Snape had something that Lily found likeable. But didn't James have even more likeable qualities? He was better looking. He was popular. He played Quidditch. And he was a Gryffindor! Even the worst Gryffindor was better than any Slytherin. And yet Lily spent all of her time with that slimeball Snape, and treated James like the scum of the earth.

It just made no sense.


	10. First of Many

**A/N:** _Finally- I was able to write a first kiss for Lily and James. I know I've been promising this since Chapter 1, and this little idea popped into my head just in time for Chapter 10!_

_In the timeline of my headcanon, this would mean that James did in fact get there first (I'm sorry guys...) This happens just after they return to Hogwarts for their fourth year, while her kiss with Sev happens later that winter. I'm sure she told him about this and he was more than a little jealous. Also, I can't quite decide if this is Lily's first kiss _ever..._I figured that it probably is, since she doesn't seem like the type to be handing out kisses like candy, but i don't know. You decide!_

_Also, huge thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/followed/favorited! There will be more to come, so keep it up!_

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><p><strong>First of Many<strong>

In this moment, Lily was thoroughly regretting every decision that had led up to it. Why, she berated herself, had she let Mary talk her into playing spin the bottle? Deep down, she had known that it couldn't lead to anything good—not with Potter and his gang playing. Mary had decided that it would be a fun way for the Gryffindor fourth years to "reacquaint" after the long summer. Really, Lily knew, she was just trying to get a kiss out of Sirius. She had been suffering from a highly disgusting crush on him for quite a while now.

And it was thanks to Mary that Lily was now glaring daggers at none other than James Potter, who had just spun the empty butterbeer bottle. Of course the evil thing had picked her, rather than one of the swooning girls on either side.

"Ooh, lucky Lily!" Alice called, quickly shrinking back at the glare that had now been redirected to her.

"Come on, Evans," James said, trying to be suave, and obviously quite pleased with himself. "I've been waiting for this for way too long…and who knows, you might even like it!"

"I doubt that," Lily retorted, crossing her arms. "And this is absolutely ridiculous!"

"What, are you chicken?" Sirius taunted.

"You agreed to play, Lily, and those are the rules," even Remus looked amused.

Lily felt her face grow hot in a combination of temper and embarrassment. "Fine!" She spat, standing up and taking two quick steps over to where James Potter was lounging on the floor. Before he had a chance to react, or even realize what she was doing, she bent down and kissed him. She held it for five seconds, as was the bloody rule, before breaking away.

Most girls who kiss Potter come away looking giddy, almost unable to keep their balance. Lily Evans, however, looked even angrier than before; those watching could almost see the sparks flying.

"You happy now?" She huffed, before stomping up to the girl's dormitory. There was the distant slaming door, and then a few seconds of silence.

"Well mate," Sirius looked over to James. "I think she liked it. Why else would she be so upset?"


	11. Double Life

**A/N:** _Collective headcanon. We all know It's true._

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><p><strong>Double Life<strong>

The battle was years ago. When he began his new life, just after faking his own death mind you, he had fully intended to leave his past behind him. Unfortunately, things have never worked out for him the way that he would have liked.

Now he is paid to pretend to be the man he once was, watching imitations of people that he used to know. The castle that they have is nothing as splendid as Hogwarts, but of course that would be expected. The young imitation-Potter looks very much like the real one did at that age—except for his eyes. This boy does not, by any stretch of the imagination, have Lily's eyes. As far as the other actors, Granger isn't nearly beaverish enough, while Weasley is too stocky. The faux-Minerva does well enough. And it would be expected that no one could truly play the part of Dumbledore.

It's unnerving, having to memorize more dramatic versions of things that you've already said, written by someone else's hand. It's even stranger to have the Muggle camera pointed at you, and not be able to use magic, even when magic is required.

And yet, as the years go on, he finds himself becoming very attached to all of these people. He enjoys watching the children grow up, just as much as he enjoyed looking after the real Golden Trio. Eventually, he lets his guard down and allows himself to make friends. Laugh. Even try out the internet…although when he discovers fan fiction, he promptly gets rid of his computer.

Ironically, pretending to die again is the one thing that helps him reconcile with his past. He will be quite sad when this is all over…This has been his life for over a decade. A shallow, yet wonderful imitation of the life that he lived for forty years.

It's his last day on set. He takes a good deal of time wandering, fixing every detail in his memory. This will be just as hard as leaving his last life. At least this time he will have his Lupin doppelganger to go out with him.

He stands in front of the cast and crew, as the director makes his goodbye speech. It's quite touching to hear such a cheer go up when he is dubbed Hogwarts' favorite potions master. Before he can leave, he feels like he's hugged everyone at least twice. Finally he breaks away, to stand with the tall figure in the back of pretend-Dumbledore. They've become rather good friends.

"What's next?" asks the older man.

"I'm not really sure…" the younger replies, a distant gaze on his face. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with this life. I still have some…things to take care of."

A true shadow of Albus Dumbledore looks at him, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Even after all this time?"

"Always."


	12. Too Much

**A/N:** _This is kinda short, but whatever...I'll probably do some sort of follow up to this. Either how Lily is thinking about James around this time period, or something along the lines of Severus trying to get her back. Or both?_

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><p><strong>Too Much<strong>

"Sev, seriously," Lily was furious as she turned and placed her hands firmly on her hips, taking a stance that was usually reserved for Potter. Despite his cloud of anger, hurt and frustration, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of all of the times that Potter had seen her like this. She really _was _sexy when she was mad—

He shook his head, trying to stay rational. "Lily, I didn't mean it! I just—"

"Just what?" She shot back. "Just called me a 'Mudblood' because all of your Slytherin friends were watching? Were you just joking?"

He shrank from the look that she gave him, shaking his head more vigorously. "I wasn't thinking! I'm sorry Lily, really, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said it…I never meant to call you that, I'll never do it again!"

"You weren't thinking, and you'll never do it again?" The icy tone of her voice clashed violently with the heat that he could almost feel coming from her. "What you mean is that 'you didn't think, because you don't think it's a big deal to use that word,' and 'you won't say it to me, but you'll say it about anyone who's like me.'"

"No, I—" he began to protest, but she cut him off.

"I can't _believe _you. I really can't." Lily's voice was rising again, and he could see that her temper was reaching a dangerous point. She had never even screamed at James Potter this way. When she was angry at him, they bickered, but watching it was almost like a Quidditch match. They fought evenly, each one giving and taking. When she was angry with Severus, it was all encompassing. Decimating.

"We're done." She said with finality, her tone threatening a million horrible things should he speak. "We've had this conversation before. You're obviously not changing, and I hate the new you. I could never be friends with any of those boys you hang around with, and you're just like them. I can't do this anymore."

He opened his mouth, but she kept going, tears coming to her eyes. "Don't try and win me back. Just leave me alone!"

Before he had a chance to protest, she had turned and ran. She was gone. Forever.


End file.
